Despite differences, NCP open to alliance with Congress

Party chief Sharad Pawar has fixed meetings with local units in Nagpur, Amravati and Aurangabad in early October.
(Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

Two days after blaming the Congress for their downfall, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday made it clear that it is open to forming an alliance with the Congress in the upcoming civic polls if its local unit desires. The party has also decided to start preparing for the upcoming elections in full swing as party chief Sharad Pawar has fixed meetings with local units in Nagpur, Amravati and Aurangabad in early October.

Sunil Tatkare, state NCP chief said that they are interested in forming an alliance with Congress, but the decision for the same is to be taken by the local unit. “They (local units) have been empowered to take call on alliance but only with like-minded parties like the Congress. We don’t want an alliance with hardline parties,” Tatkare told HT.

He said that the party is already in talks with senior Congress leaders and they already had a meeting on September 2 on the same. The second rounds of talks will be held soon.

Senior NCP leader Praful Patel on Monday blamed the Congress for the downfall of his party in the state, during the time both parties were ruling the state. While talking to party workers in Akola, Patel had also lashed out at former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, holding his policies responsible for defaming the NCP.

NCP started preparations for the upcoming polls on Wednesday with two back to back meetings — core group and manifesto committee.

Around 10 municipal corporations including Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nagpur and 26 Zilla Parishads will go for elections in February next year. They will be followed by elections in 296 Panchayat Samiti, that governs towns and talukas covering 80% of the population of the state. By and large, both Congress and NCP are in majority in most of the civil bodies across the state except a few.